Build a One-of-a-Kind Bonsai Pot - The Drape Method 

3 legs is good. No wobbling. Want to keep something steady? Like a camera? Tripod. Trees too! Aaron..... Well produced video, fun view and informative. I'm subbing your channel after one view.

I use both of those and others on occasion. As long as you fire these to cone 5 they should be vitrified and be very durable through all seasons.

An outdoor pit firing is possible, but has a high rate of failure if you have never done it. A kiln is best. Look into local ceramic businesses to ask if they will fire something for you or if they have kiln services. Good luck!

The drain holes are spaced across the flat bottom of this pot. If you are building your own, place them where it seems best for your needs. (and try a soil mix that drains better)

Lolo Robison I use stoneware clay. I recommend trying to find a local ceramics supply store for clay and tools, but there are many wooden and plastic ceramics tools available through Amazon and other online sellers.

Thanks, Aaron. Does you use a clay body with a lot of grit or very little? Your finished product looks very smooth and clean. Thanks for responding!

@@aaronstratten9594 Ci vraiment fantastique très très bon travail meusieu merci beaucoup pour votre aide et salutations de RQIA de MAROC.

This was built on a wooden bowl. A foam form could easily be made from some insulating foam sheeting that could be purchased at a home improvement store, though. Great thought.

I use 1/4 inch for small pots and 3/8 inch for larger pots. (7-10 mm)

I have an electric kiln. You can check your area for businesses that fire ceramics for customers, or you can research other firing methods. Good luck!

@@aaronstratten9594 your work is beautiful and your methodology is fascinating. Would you share the make / model of your kiln? Thank you!

That is a texture roller I made myself. It is simply a textured slab of clay that I rolled into a cylinder, dried, and fired.

@@aaronstratten9594 Thank you. It would be great to see a video of making that tool.

LOL

No. The pot will not hold up.

This is stoneware. The clay is fired to around 2100 degrees F. I don’t know of an air dry clay that could hold up as a bonsai pot.

I never have, no. I prefer to use glazes on ceramic ware as this method of adding color and texture is 100% permanent and becomes part of the pot itself. There may be glazes that can achieve a similar effect to milk paint though.

@@aaronstratten9594 Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately, I am not a pottery'ist nor have a kiln. I was just looking for cheap alternatives for big garden pots and transforming cheap and (ugly) orange-colored terra-cotta pots into something more decent colored and usable. I recently colored 8-10 old terra-cotta pots with Old-Fashioned Milk Paint last week (Driftwood color)... and it looks sooo much better than the orange! :D ...it's actually usable and pretty now. Not an orange eye-sore anymore and looks very natural in color. Looks like the natural colors used for Bonsai pots. But I hope it is durable and will last though!

Less Talk, More Delicious let me know how it holds up. I would imagine better for plants kept inside.

I was about to leave this same comment!!

I purchase clay from a local ceramics supply store. You can also dig clay yourself, but that requires a lot of time, labor, and experimentation to process it. I don't recommend it if you are just trying to make your own pots.

@@aaronstratten9594 thank you.. by the way am from India.. I found from internet sources that here we will get it from Lord Ganesha idol makers..

You are clearly smart enough to cut a 5th drainage hole in the middle, or (as I did) decide to flatten the bottom of the pot.